Early Life

Rajput was born in Patna, Bihar, India. His ancestral village is Maldhiha in Bihar’s Purnea district.[22][23] One of his sisters, Ritu Singh, is a state-level cricketer.[24][25] His mother’s death in 2002[26] left Rajput devastated and it was in the same year that the family moved from Patna to Delhi.[25]

Rajput attended St. Karens High School in Patna and Kulachi Hansraj Model School in New Delhi.[27] He secured admission in the Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) class in Delhi Technological University which was earlier known as Delhi College of Engineering.[25] He was also a National Olympiad Winner in Physics.[28] In all, he cleared as many as eleven engineering entrance exams, including that for the ISM Dhanbad.[25] However, he completed only three years of the four-year course before dropping out to pursue an acting career.[25]

Career

Early Years

While a student at Delhi Technological University, Rajput enrolled in Shiamak Davar‘s dance classes.[29] It was only later that the idea of making a career in acting came to him, as some of his fellow students in the dance classes happened to be interested in acting and were attending Barry John‘s drama classes. Influenced by them, Rajput also joined the acting classes. Here, he found his passion for acting: “I found the experience liberating. I realised that I could communicate with the audience. I knew I wanted to do this forever.”[30]

Within a few months of joining the dance class, Rajput was selected to be a member of Davar’s standard dance troupe. In 2005, he was chosen to be one of the group of background dancers at the 51st Filmfare Awards. In 2006, he was part of the troupe that went to Australia to perform in the cultural program at the opening ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games. By this time, he was tired of engineering, where he was failing papers and had no real interest in the subject. He was happy and successful in the dance and drama classes, and decided to do what he was good at. He dropped out of engineering and devoted himself full-time to dancing and acting.[citation needed]

To make a break into films, Rajput moved to Mumbai and joined Nadira Babbar‘s Ekjute theatre group, which he remained a part of for two and a half years.[29] During this time, he was featured in a TV advertisement for Nestle Munch, which became famous throughout India.

Television (2008–12)

In 2008, the casting team of Balaji Telefilms saw Rajput’s personality and acting talent while he was on stage for one of Ekjute’s plays. They invited him to audition for them and Rajput landed the role of Preet Juneja in Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil. His character was killed quite early in the show, but he was such a popular character with the viewers that he was brought back for the series finale in the form of a spirit, looking on as his family celebrates after going through difficult times.

In June 2009, Rajput began starring in Pavitra Rishta as Manav Deshmukh, a serious and mature character working as a mechanic to help support his family. His work in this serial received wide appreciation, and Rajput received three major television awards for best male actor and most popular actor. This performance was his breakthrough and gave him a stepping stone into films.

In May 2010, Rajput joined the dance reality show Zara Nachke Dikha 2. He had already proven his acting talents by winning awards for his performance in Pavitra Rishta, and he wanted to establish that he had good dancing skills and could be trained further. In Zara Nachke Dikha, Rajput was a part of the Mast Kalandar Boys Team. He did the shooting for both Pavitra Rishta and Zara Nachke Dikha 2 at the same time. On the Mother’s Day special episode, his team dedicated a performance to his mother, who had died in 2002.[31]

In December 2010, Rajput participated in another dance-based reality show, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4, where he was paired with choreographer Shampa Sonthalia.[32] In October 2011, Rajput decided to quit Pavitra Rishta to pursue a film-making course abroad.

Film career (2013–Present)

Rajput auditioned for Abhishek Kapoor‘s Kai Po Che! and was selected to play one of the three leads, along with Rajkumar Rao and Amit Sadh. Based on the Chetan Bhagat novel The 3 Mistakes of My Life, the film proved to be a critical and commercial success. Rajput’s portrayal of Ishaan Bhatt, an ex-district level cricketer who is a victim of politics in the cricketing selection fraternity, was praised.[33] Critic Rajeev Masand wrote: “…it’s Sushant Singh Rajput, making his film debut as Ishaan, who it’s hard to take your eyes off. The actor has an indescribable presence and it’s clear from his confidence and distinct likeability that a star is born.”[34]

Highlights

Jeff Bezos said via Twitter that he and his wife MacKenzie will divorce

Bezos is the world’s richest person

The split throws into question how the couple will split their fortune

Amazon.com shares seesawed on Thursday as investors questioned how the impending divorce of company founder Jeff Bezos would affect his control of the most valuable company on Wall Street and its ambitious expansion plans.

Bezos, whom Forbes lists as the world’s richest person, worth an estimated $136.2 billion(roughly Rs. 9.6 lakh crores), said via Twitter on Wednesday that he and his wife of 25 years, MacKenzie, will divorce. Amazon shares were down 0.5 percent in afternoon trading on Thursday, after gaining earlier in the session.

The split throws into question how the couple will split their fortune, which includes an approximately 16 percent ownership stake in Amazon’s roughly $811.4 billion market capitalisation. Divorce laws in Washington state, where they live, hold that property acquired during a marriage is generally divided equally between spouses.

Most analysts and fund managers are largely sanguine and say the divorce will not lead to any significant change in the company’s leadership or its growth prospects.

Prominent short-seller Doug Kass, however, who runs hedge fund Seabreeze Partners, said he sold his stake in Amazon on news of the divorce. That was after initially buying a stake in late December and naming Amazon among his “best ideas list.”

“Is it premature to ask what happens to Amazon when Jeff Bezos chooses to turn over the day-to-day running of the company he founded?” he said. “His announced divorce gives me pause for thought.”

The couple has multiple residences across the country, so there is a possibility the divorce could be filed in a state where marital property is not presumed to be divided equally.

New York matrimonial lawyer Bernard Clair said in that case a judge would likely determine MacKenzie Bezos’ share of Amazon stock based on her contribution to her husband’s success, which could include helping him make important business decisions or raising their children so he could focus on work.

Any transfer of Jeff Bezos’ stock would be subject to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission disclosure requirements. As an officer and director at the company, Bezos could be required to file an SEC Form 4 within two business days of any transfer, though former SEC lawyer Broc Romanek noted a provision of US securities laws exempts share transfers made pursuant to a domestic relations order.

Even if Bezos were exempted from filing a Form 4, he would be required to update promptly the record of his Amazon holdings on file with the SEC if his position in the company changed by 1 percent or more, said DC securities lawyer Thomas Gorman. MacKenzie Bezos would also need to file a similar record if she received more than 5 percent of Amazon stock.

Peter Henning, a securities law professor at Wayne State University, noted that Amazon, unlike fellow tech giants Facebook and Google, does not give its founder’s shares greater voting rights. If MacKenzie Bezos is given a large block of shares, she could have a big say at the company.

Gorman agreed. “She could wind up with some sort of control block, and get herself a directorship,” he said. “It depends on what she wants to do.”

Any effort to dilute MacKenzie Bezos’ voting rights by creating a separate class of shares would require a shareholder vote, said Gorman, though he added that he thought such a move unlikely.

“Nobody wants to run their divorce through a shareholder meeting,” he said.

Robert Bacarella, portfolio manager of the Monetta fund, said that while he is not changing his investment in Amazon, he expects other growth-focused portfolio managers may trim their stakes due to concerns about the divorce’s impact.

“This is such an over-owned company and this gives them an excuse to say ‘Maybe I’ll trim some back because it adds a new question mark’,” he said.

Bacarella, however, said he is not concerned because even if MacKenzie Bezos liquidated a stake that could be as high as 8 percent, there would be no fundamental reason behind the sale. Any impact would be short-term in nature.

“Unless you worry that he will get so distracted by the divorce that he cannot manage the company, this will be a non-event,” said Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Securities in Los Angeles. “He is given control of the company because shareholders like him and his vision, not because he has 50 percent of the stock.”

Thomas Forte, an analyst at D.A. Davidson, said questions about the future of the company due to the divorce are legitimate due to Jeff Bezos’ outsized influence on its value. Should he leave the company for any reason, its shares would likely immediately fall more than 10 percent, he said.

“His influence on the company is as a significant as if he had super-voting shares because of his track record and the way he runs the company as if he owned the whole thing,” he said.

The app allows users to upload photos and videos to the service, which can be edited with various filters, and organized with tags and location information. An account’s posts can be shared publicly or with pre-approved followers. Users can browse other users’ content by tags and locations, and view trending content. Users can “like” photos, and follow other users to add their content to a feed.

The service was originally distinguished by only allowing content to be framed in a square (1:1) aspect ratio, but these restrictions were eased in 2015. The service also added messaging features, the ability to include multiple images or videos in a single post, as well as “Stories”—similar to its main competitor Snapchat—which allows users to post photos and videos to a sequential feed, with each post accessible by others for 24 hours each.

After its launch in 2010, Instagram rapidly gained popularity, with one million registered users in two months, 10 million in a year, and 800 million as of September 2017. In April 2012, Facebook acquired the service for approximately US$1 billion in cash and stock. As of October 2015, over 40 billion photos had been uploaded to the service. Although praised for its influence, Instagram has been the subject of criticism, most notably for policy and interface changes, allegations of censorship, and illegal or improper content uploaded by users.

Italian sports car manufacturer, Lamborghini, has officially announced that it will be making Veneno Roadster, a new version of one of the best cars ever made. The company is claiming the Roadster model of Veneno will be one of the most exclusive cars in the world as only nine units shall be made during the course of 2014. As the production of the car is limited, it has been priced accordingly at 3.3 million Euros that translates somewhere around Rs. 27 crore in India.

The upcoming car from Lamborghini offers an intense driving experience with its superlative engine and aerodynamic body structure. Being a Roadster, the car will not get any roof but the company is expected to give a strong rollover bar. With its the edgy body panels, Lamborghini has primarily resorted to focus on deriving maximum aerodynamism from the car with higher stability to ride through fast corners.

Lamborghini Veneno Roadster to be priced at 3.3 million Euros

In terms of performance, Veneno Roadster gets 12-cylinder 6.5-litre engine that churns out a massive 750 bhp of power. The engine of the car is mated to a semi-automatic transmission that has five different shift modes. With this powerful engine, the car races to 100 kmph from naught in just 2.9 seconds, thereby reaching a top speed of 355 kmph. Veneno Roadster comes equipped with a permanent all-wheel drive system besides the chassis of racing cars that has pushrod suspension and horizontal spring/damper units.

At the front, the Veneno Roadster gets a large aerodynamic wing while the under body transitions include substantial diffuser frame that has four sizeable exhaust pipes, which are divided by a splitter. The design of the rear portion of the vehicle gets adjustable rear wing that gives an appearance of racing cars. Also to mention, the extensive aerodynamic simulation to ensure optimum airflow in the interaction of the rear wing with the rear diffuser.

The company has designed the alloy wheels so to offer maximum aerodynamism through the use of carbon-fibre ring around the wheel rim. With this feature, the ring functions as a turbine to deliver cooling air to the carbon-ceramic brake discs. In terms of colour scheme, Lamborghini has used the “Rosso Veneno” paint colour that has been exclusively developed for the Veneno Roadster. However, the customers can always choose from their own personal preferences.

The upcoming car of Lamborghini gets CFRP based lightweight design as almost all trhe parts are made from it. As told by the company, this sports car meets all the regulatory safety requirements prevalent worldwide and is highly advanced in term of safety. Even the interiors of the car feature Carbon fiber monocoque, which are visible at the central tunnel and the sills. Also, the car gets woven carbon-fiber CarbonSkin that is used to cover the cockpit, seats and the headliner.

The Wave Project is a British surf therapy charity that helps young people fulfill their potential.

In January 2015, a peer-review published in the journal Community Practitioner stated that the surf therapy program developed by the Wave Project resulted in a “significant and sustained increase in well-being.”

“One year later […] parents and referrers noticed an increase in positive attitude and better communication, as well as improved self-management and analyzing at both home and school,” the report revealed.

However, the article went on to say that “further service evaluation of accessibility and long-term outcomes is also recommended.”

That is why the Wave Project decided to study the long-term impact of surf therapy upon young people. The newly released report is the result of over four years worth of evaluation and contains 412 case studies.

Hannah Devine-Wright and Catherine Godfrey analyzed data collected by the charity between 2013 and 2017, and ran a series of focus group interviews with Wave Project participants and their parents from across England, Wales and Scotland, to get a broad view of the impact surf therapy has had on young people over time.

“For the first time, independent research has confirmed what many of us engaged in surf therapy have witnessed week in and week out: surf therapy works!” stresses Joe Taylor, CEO of Wave Project.

Surfing: A Pill for Youngsters and Carers

When delivered in a supportive environment, with opportunities for continuation and volunteering, surfing provides profound and long-term benefits on the wellbeing of children facing social and emotional isolation.

Researchers analyzed the results from 1,945 vulnerable young people aged 8-21 who experience physical and mental health issues, social deprivation or social isolation.

Amongst those facing social isolation are young carers, who often report low self-esteem and high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression, and young people who have been bullied.

“We hope that this will be the first of many similar evaluation reports around the world to continue strengthening the case for surf therapy,” adds Taylor.

Additionally, the six-week course ran by the Wave Project appears cost-effective. The initial program costs approximately £300 per child, and each follow-on surf club session costs £20 per child.

Assuming that a child attends ten surf club sessions per annum, the overall cost for a child to benefit from surf therapy provided by the Wave Project is £500 per child, per year.

Across time, as clients become surf volunteers, they may become cost neutral, experiencing additional benefit at no cost to the project at all.

Narendramodi was born on 17th September 1950 in a small town called Vadnagar in Mehsana district, which was in Bombay but now is in Gujarat. He is the present Prime Minister of India and is also one of the best applicable Prime Ministerial candidate for the forthcoming 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Childhood Of Narendra Modi

Since his childhood days, he was confronted with many difficulties and obstacles, but he transformed all the challenges into opportunities by sheer strength of character and courage. This was particularly seen when he joined the college and University for higher education where his path was filled with harsh realities of life and painful toil. But as a true soldier, he has confronted all the bullets in this battle of life.

Humble Beginnings & His Contributions During RSS Tenure

Once he has taken a step forward he never looks back. He refuses to drop out or be defeated. It was this commitment in his life, which enabled him to complete his post graduation in political science. He started working with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a socio-cultural organization with a stern focus on the social and cultural development of India which imbibed in him the spirit of selflessness, social responsibility, dedication, and nationalism.

Shri Narendra Modi in his tenure with the RSS played several important roles on various occasions including the 1974 Navnirman anti-corruption agitation and harrowing 19 months (June 1975 to January 1977) of service, a ‘state of emergency’ when the fundamental rights of Indian citizens were strangled.

Modi showing the path of the true spirit of democracy kept alive the fundamentals by guiding covert operations for the entire period and fighting a spiritual battle against the fascist ways of the then central government.

His Career In BJP

In 1987, he joined the BJP and entered mainstream politics. Within just a year, he was elevated to the rank of General Secretary of the Gujarat unit of BJP. By this time he had already acquired a reputation in the party for being a highly efficient organizer. He took the challenging task of making the party cadres with right intent after which the party started gaining political mileage and formed a coalition government at the Centre in April 1990.

Though this partnership short-lived and fell apart within a few months, but the BJP gained hold of Gujarat and came to power with a two-thirds majority on its own in Gujarat in 1995. Since then, the BJP has been director of Gujarat.

Narendra Modi As A Well Known Strategist Of Gujarat Based BJP

Due to his work from 1988 and 1995, Shri Narendra Modi now recognized as a master strategist and had successfully gained the necessary groundwork for making the Gujarat BJP the ruling party of the state.

Shri Modi in this period was entrusted with the responsibility of organizing two massive and crucial national events for the BJP, first was the Somnath to Ayodhya Rath Yatra (a very long march) of Shri L.K. Advani and Kanyakumari to Kashmir in the north (the southern part of India).

These two highly successful events handled by Shri Modi are regarded as the reason for the ascent of the BJP to power in New Delhi in 1998. In 1995, Shri Modi (a rare distinction for a young leader) was appointed the National Secretary of the party and given the charge of five major states in India.

Narendra Modi As CM Of Gujarat

In 1998, he was promoted as the General Secretary (Organization) of BJP, a post he held until October 2001, when he was chosen to lead the state of Gujarat as Chief Minister of Gujarat which is one of the most prosperous and progressive states of India.

At the time of some period, Narendra Modi hands over some of the responsibilities of state-level units having some part of its units and some of the sensitive crucial states of Kashmir and Northeastern states.

He was the only person taking the responsibility against the party in states in meanwhile working at national level. In the party, Narendra Modi is the important person and played the main role on eminence occasions. During this period he traveled extensively throughout the world and interacts with renowned leaders of many countries. These experiences not only helped him develop a global approach but also his passion for serving India in the community of nations.

Narendra Modi As Prime Minister Of India

26 May 2014 marked the historic day for India. It was this day when Narendra Modi took his pledge as the Prime Minister of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He is the first Prime Minister to be born after India’s independence. The first cabinet comprised of 45 ministers and later in November 2014, 21 new ministers were added to the council of ministers. His current cabinet is one of the largest cabinets with strength of 78 ministers.

PM Modi has launched various innovative schemes and initiatives for the welfare of Indian masses since he has assumed office in 2014. Moreover, the government has achieved an unprecedented growth in every sector as a result of these initiatives. These policy initiatives include economic, social, health and sanitation, IT, foreign, defense, and environmental policies. As a result, the governance has now become more open, hassle-free and transparent.

In August 2014, he launched Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana to promote financial inclusion aiming to create bank accounts for 150 million families. Demonetisation of 500 and 1000 rupee notes was an anti-corruption move to curb black money. Under Modi government, India made the highest ever jump of 30 points to reach 100th position in ‘Ease of Doing Business’ index. The biggest tax reform ‘Goods and Services Tax’ (GST) that India has ever witnessed became effective from 1 July 2017.

The ‘Make in India’ movement was launched in September 2014 to encourage national and foreign companies to manufacture in India. With an aim of making India a global manufacturing hub, this initiative has made India top destination for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). On 25 June 2015, the program of building 100 Smart Cities was launched. Moreover, “smart villages” program aims to provide Internet access, clean water, sanitation, and low-carbon energy to 2,500 smart villages by 2019.

‘Housing for All by 2022’ was launched by him in June 2015 with an aim to eradicate slums in India by building about 20 million affordable homes for India’s poor population. “New Health Policy” was launched in January 2015 and National Health Mission saw launch of national health programs. ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ (Clean India) campaign was officially launched on Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary 2 October 2014 with an aim of achieving Open-Defecation Free India by his 150th anniversary on 2 October, 2019. The campaign has a mission of building 12 million toilets in rural India. Launched by PM Modi on 1 July 2015, ‘Digital India’ campaign has an objective of ensuring availability of government services through electronic mediums, providing boost to digital literacy, constructing efficient ICT infrastructure for high-speed internet access in rural and urban areas. Around 400 railway stations are being equipped with wi-fi technology. The internet in India has seen a rise from 20% in 2014 to 26% in 2016.

Broadcasted by All India Radio and a few other FM radio stations, ‘Mann Ki Baat’ is a monthly radio programme in which PM Modi has been addressing people of the nation since its start on 3 October 2014. An estimated 90% of the total Indian population is reachable through the medium. 20-minute-long episodes are delivered on day-today happenings and the initiatives led by him.

PM Narendra Modi proposed the idea of ‘International Day of Yoga’ during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 27 September 2014. So 177 nations at UNGA came together to pass the resolution and 21 June was officially declared as the date since it’s the longest day of the year in Northern Hemisphere and holds great significance. To strengthen the bilateral relations and to attend international summits, he has made several foreign trips to countries including the United States and Asian countries following his neighborhood first and act east policy. He even became the first Indian PM to visit Mongolia. His visit to Japan, France, Germany, Arab countries have proved pathbreaking and unfolded a new era of bilateral relations.

The futuristic missions, schemes, projects and campaigns launched by PM Modi have led to a nationwide movements and have spurred hopes and aspirations of Indian citizens. The major initiatives include Namami Gange, Startup India, Standup India, Sagarmala Project, Setu Bharatam, Skill India, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Yojana, and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan among many others.

And for all the revolutionary initiatives and glorious accomplishments, Indian PM Narendra Modi has received many awards and recognitions. Forbes Magazine ranked him in the ‘Most Powerful People In The World’ and among the ‘World’s Greatest Leaders’. TIME magazine named him among ‘100 Most Influential People In The World’. CNN-IBN declared him ‘Indian of the Year’ in 2014.

Entrepreneur Bill Gates founded the world’s largest software business, Microsoft, with Paul Allen, and subsequently became one of the richest men in the world.

Who Is Bill Gates?

Entrepreneur and businessman Bill Gates (born October 28, 1955) and his partner Paul Allen founded and built the world’s largest software business, Microsoft, through technological innovation, keen business strategy and aggressive business tactics. In the process, Gates became one of the richest men in the world. In February 2014, Gates announced that he was stepping down as Microsoft’s chairman to focus on charitable work at his foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Net Worth and House

In March 1986, Bill Gates took Microsoft public with an initial public offering (IPO) of $21 per share, making him an instant millionaire at age 31. Gates held 45 percent of the company’s 24.7 million shares, making his stake at that time $234 million of Microsoft’s $520 million.

Over time, the company’s stock increased in value and split numerous times. In 1987, Bill Gates became a billionaire when the stock hit $90.75 a share. Since then, Gates has been at the top, or at least near the top, of Forbes’ annual list of the top 400 wealthiest people in America. In 1999, with stock prices at an all-time high and the stock splitting eight-fold since its IPO, Gates’ wealth briefly topped $101 billion.

In 1997, Gates and his family moved into a 55,000-square-foot, $54-million house on the shore of Lake Washington. Though the house serves as a business center, it is said to be very cozy for the couple and their three children.

Wife and Children

In 1987, a 23-year-old Microsoft product manager named Melinda French caught the eye of Bill Gates, then 32. The very bright and organized Melinda was a perfect match for Gates. In time, their relationship grew as they discovered an intimate and intellectual connection. On January 1, 1994, Melinda and Bill were married in Hawaii.

Following the devastating death of his mother to cancer just a few months after their wedding, Bill and Melinda took some time off in 1995 to travel and get a new perspective on life and the world. In 1996, their first daughter, Jennifer, was born. Their son, Rory, was born in 1999, and a second daughter, Phoebe, arrived in 2002.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

In 1994, Bill and Melinda Gates established the William H. Gates Foundation, which was dedicated to supporting education, world health and investment in low-income communities. With Melinda’s influence, Bill had taken an interest in becoming a civic leader in the footsteps of his mother, studying the philanthropic work of American industrial titans Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller. He realized that he had an obligation to give more of his wealth to charity. In 2000, the couple combined several family foundations and made a $28 billion contribution to form the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

In 2000, Bill Gates stepped down from the day-to-day operations of Microsoft, turning over the job of CEO to college friend Steve Ballmer, who had been with Microsoft since 1980. He positioned himself as chief software architect so he could concentrate on what was for him the more passionate side of the business, though he remained chairman of the board.

Over the next few years, Bill’s involvement with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation occupied much of his time and even more of his interest. In 2006, Gates announced he was transitioning himself from full-time work at Microsoft to devote more quality time to the foundation. His last full day at Microsoft was June 27, 2008. In February 2014, Gates stepped down as chairman of Microsoft in order to move into a new position as technology adviser; longtime Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was replaced by 46-year-old Satya Nadella.

Gates continues to devote much of his time and energy to the work of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The organization tackles international and domestic issues, such as health and education and helping students in the United States become college-ready. In 2015, Gates spoke out in favor of national Common Core standards in grades K through 12 and charter schools. Gates also proved to be a groundbreaking employer when, around this time, the foundation announced that it would give its employees a year’s paid leave after the birth or the adoption of a child.

In 2017, the foundation launched the first of what was to become its annual “Goalkeepers” report, an examination of progress made in several important areas related to public health, including child mortality, malnutrition and . At the time, Gates identified infectious and chronic disease as the two biggest public health concerns that needed to be addressed over the coming decade.

In April 2018, Gates announced that he was teaming with Google co-founder Larry Page to provide $12 million in funding for a universal flu vaccine. He said the funds would be awarded in grants of up to $2 million for individual efforts that are “bold and innovative,” with an aim of beginning clinical trials by 2021. Although some questioned whether $12 million would be enough to spark any real medical breakthrough, others praised the intentions behind the investment, while Gates indicated that there could be more to come.

Alzheimer’s Research and ‘Smart City’

Along with the work done through his foundation, Gates in November 2017 revealed that he was investing $50 million of his own money into the Dementia Discovery Fund, and would follow with another $50 million toward start-up ventures working in Alzheimer’s research. It was said to be a personal matter for Gates, who has seen the devastating effects of the disease on his own family members.

“Any type of treatment would be a huge advance from where we are today,” he told CNN, adding, “the long-term goal has got to be cure.”

Around the same time, it was revealed that one of Gates’s firms had invested $80 million into the development of a “smart city” near Phoenix, Arizona. The proposed city, named Belmont, will “create a forward-thinking community with a communication and infrastructure spine that embraces cutting-edge technology, designed around high-speed digital networks, data centers, new manufacturing technologies and distribution models, autonomous vehicles and autonomous logistics hubs,” according to the Belmont Partners real estate investment group.

Of the nearly 25,000 acres of land designated for the site, it was reported that 3,800 acres will go toward office, commercial and retail space, and another 470 acres will be used for public schools, leaving room for 80,000 residential units.

When Was Bill Gates Born?

Bill Gates was born William Henry Gates III on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington.

Family and Childhood

Bill Gates grew up in an upper middle-class family with his older sister, Kristianne, and younger sister, Libby. Their father, William H. Gates Sr., was a promising, if somewhat shy, law student when he met his future wife, Mary Maxwell. She was an athletic, outgoing student at the University of Washington, actively involved in student affairs and leadership. The Gates family atmosphere was warm and close, and all three children were encouraged to be competitive and strive for excellence. Bill showed early signs of competitiveness when he coordinated family athletic games at their summer house on Puget Sound. He also relished in playing board games (Risk was his favorite) and excelled at Monopoly.

Bill had a very close relationship with his mother, Mary, who after a brief career as a teacher devoted her time to helping raise the children and working on civic affairs and with charities. She also served on several corporate boards, including those of the First Interstate Bank in Seattle (founded by her grandfather), the United Way and International Business Machines (IBM). She would often take Bill along when she volunteered in schools and at community organizations.

Education

Bill was a voracious reader as a child, spending many hours poring over reference books such as the encyclopedia. Around the age of 11 or 12, Bill’s parents began to have concerns about his behavior. He was doing well in school, but he seemed bored and withdrawn at times, and his parents worried he might become a loner. Though they were strong believers in public education, when Bill turned 13, they enrolled him at Seattle’s exclusive preparatory Lakeside School. He blossomed in nearly all his subjects, excelling in math and science, but also doing very well in drama and English.

While at Lakeside School, a Seattle computer company offered to provide computer time for the students. The Mother’s Club used proceeds from the school’s rummage sale to purchase a teletype terminal for students to use. Bill Gates became entranced with what a computer could do and spent much of his free time working on the terminal. He wrote a tic-tac-toe program in BASIC computer language that allowed users to play against the computer.

Gates graduated from Lakeside in 1973. He scored 1590 out of 1600 on the college SAT test, a feat of intellectual achievement that for several years he boasted about when introducing himself to new people.

Dropping Out of College

Gates enrolled at Harvard University in the fall of 1973, originally thinking of a career in law. But his freshman year saw him spend more of his time in the computer lab than in class. Gates did not really have a study regimen. Instead, he could get by on a few hours of sleep, cram for a test, and pass with a reasonable grade. Much to his parents’ dismay, within two years Gates dropped out of college in 1975 to pursue his business, Microsoft, with partner Paul Allen.

Bill Gates and Paul Allen

At Lakeside School Gates met Paul Allen, who was two years his senior. The pair became fast friends, bonding over their common enthusiasm for computers, even though they were very different people. Allen was more reserved and shy. Bill was feisty and at times combative. Regardless of their differences, they both spent much of their free time together working on programs. Occasionally, the two disagreed and would clash over who was right or who should run the computer lab. On one occasion, their argument escalated to the point where Allen banned Gates from the computer lab.

At one point, Gates and Allen had their school computer privileges revoked for taking advantage of software glitches to obtain free computer time from the company that provided the computers. After their probation, they were allowed back in the computer lab when they offered to debug the program. During this time, Gates developed a payroll program for the computer company the boys hacked into and a scheduling program for the school.

In 1970, at the age of 15, Bill Gates and Paul Allen went into business together, developing “Traf-o-Data,” a computer program that monitored traffic patterns in Seattle. They netted $20,000 for their efforts. Gates and Allen wanted to start their own company, but Gates’ parents wanted him to finish school and go on to college, where they hoped he would work to become a lawyer.

Allen went to Washington State University, while Gates went to Harvard, though the pair stayed in touch. After attending college for two years, Allen dropped out and moved to Boston, Massachusetts, to work for Honeywell. Around this time, he showed Gates an edition of Popular Electronics magazine featuring an article on the Altair 8800 mini-computer kit. Both boys were fascinated with the possibilities of what this computer could create in the world of personal computing.

The Altair was made by a small company in Albuquerque, New Mexico, called Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems (MITS). Gates and Allen contacted the company, proclaiming that they were working on a BASIC software program that would run the Altair computer. In reality, they didn’t have an Altair to work with or the code to run it, but they wanted to know if MITS was interested in someone developing such software.

MITS was, and its president, Ed Roberts, asked the boys for a demonstration. Gates and Allen scrambled, spending the next two months writing the software at Harvard’s computer lab. Allen traveled to Albuquerque for a test run at MITS, never having tried it out on an Altair computer. It worked perfectly. Allen was hired at MITS, and Gates soon left Harvard to work with him. Together they founded Microsoft.

Paul Allen remained with Microsoft until 1983, when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease. Though his cancer went into remission a year later with intensive treatment, Allen resigned from the company. Rumors abound as to why Allen left Microsoft. Some say Bill Gates pushed him out, but many say it was a life-changing experience for Allen and he saw there were other opportunities that he could invest his time in.

Bill Gates and Microsoft

In 1975, Bill Gates and Paul Allen formed Micro-Soft, a blend of “micro-computer” and “software” (they dropped the hyphen to Microsoft within a year). Although the company started out on shaky footing, by 1979 Microsoft was grossing approximately $2.5 million, and, at the age of 23, Gates placed himself as the head of the company. With his acumen for software development and a keen business sense, he led the company and worked as its spokesperson. Gates personally reviewed every line of code the company shipped, often rewriting code himself when he saw it necessary.

Following the development of software for IBM, between 1979 and 1981 Microsoft’s growth exploded. Staff increased from 25 to 128, and revenue shot up from $2.5 million to $16 million. In mid-1981, Gates and Allen incorporated Microsoft, and Gates was appointed president and chairman of the board. Allen was named executive vice president.

Early Years at Microsoft

At first, all was not smooth sailing. Although Microsoft’s BASIC software program for the Altair computer netted the company a fee and royalties, it wasn’t meeting their overhead. According to Gates’ later account, only about 10 percent of the people using BASIC in the Altair computer had actually paid for it. Microsoft’s BASIC software was popular with computer hobbyists, who obtained pre-market copies and were reproducing and distributing them for free. At this time, much of the personal computer enthusiasts were people not in it for the money. They felt the ease of reproduction and distribution allowed them to share software with friends and fellow computer enthusiasts. Bill Gates thought differently. He saw the free distribution of software as stealing, especially when it involved software that was created to be sold.

In February 1976, Gates wrote an open letter to computer hobbyists, saying that continued distribution and use of software without paying for it would “prevent good software from being written.” In essence, pirating software would discourage developers from investing time and money into creating quality software. The letter was unpopular with computer enthusiasts, but Gates stuck to his beliefs and would use the threat of innovation as a defense when faced with charges of unfair business practices.

Gates had an acrimonious relationship with MITS president Ed Roberts, often resulting in shouting matches. The combative Gates clashed with Roberts on software development and the direction of the business. Roberts considered Gates spoiled and obnoxious. In 1977, Roberts sold MITS to another computer company and went back to Georgia to enter medical school and become a doctor.

Gates and Allen were on their own. The pair had to sue the new owner of MITS to retain the software rights they had developed for Altair. Microsoft wrote software in different formats for other computer companies, and, at the beginning of 1979, Gates moved the company’s operations to Bellevue, Washington, just east of Seattle. Gates was glad to be home again in the Pacific Northwest, and threw himself into his work. All 25 employees of the young company had broad responsibilities for all aspects of the operation, product development, business development and marketing.

Microsoft’s Software for IBM PCs

As the computer industry began to grow, with companies like Apple, Intel and IBM developing hardware and components, Bill was continuously out on the road touting the merits of Microsoft software applications. He often took his mother with him. Mary was highly respected and well connected with her membership on several corporate boards, including IBM’s. It was through Mary that Bill Gates met the CEO of IBM.

In November 1980, IBM was looking for software that would operate their upcoming personal computer (PC) and approached Microsoft. Legend has it that at the first meeting with Bill Gates someone at IBM mistook him for an office assistant and asked him to serve coffee.

Gates did look very young, but he quickly impressed IBM, convincing them that he and his company could meet their needs. The only problem was that Microsoft had not developed the basic operating system that would run IBM’s new computers. Not to be stopped, Gates bought an operating system that was developed to run on computers similar to IBM’s PC. He made a deal with the software’s developer, making Microsoft the exclusive licensing agent and later full owner of the software but not telling them of the IBM deal. The company later sued Microsoft and Gates for withholding important information. Microsoft settled out of court for an undisclosed amount, but neither Gates nor Microsoft admitted to any wrongdoing.

Gates had to adapt the newly purchased software to work for the IBM PC. He delivered it for a $50,000 fee, the same price he had paid for the software in its original form. IBM wanted to buy the source code, which would have given them the information to the operating system. Gates refused, instead proposing that IBM pay a licensing fee for copies of the software sold with their computers. Doing this allowed Microsoft to license the software they called MS-DOS to any other PC manufacturer, should other computer companies clone the IBM PC, which they soon did. Microsoft also released software called Softcard, which allowed Microsoft BASIC to operate on Apple II machines.

By 1983, Microsoft was going global with offices in Great Britain and Japan, and with 30 percent of the world’s computers running on its software.

Bill Gates and Steve Jobs

Though their rivalry is legend, Microsoft and Apple shared many of their early innovations. In 1981, Apple, at the time led by Steve Jobs, invited Microsoft to help develop software for Macintosh computers. Some developers were involved in both Microsoft development and the development of Microsoft applications for Macintosh. The collaboration could be seen in some shared names between the Microsoft and Macintosh systems.

It was through this knowledge sharing that Microsoft was to develop Windows, a system that used a mouse to drive a graphic interface, displaying text and images on the screen. This differed greatly from the text-and-keyboard driven MS-DOS system where all text formatting showed on the screen as code and not what actually would be printed. Bill Gates quickly recognized the threat this kind of software might pose for MS-DOS and Microsoft overall. For the unsophisticated user—which was most of the buying public—the graphic imagery of the competing VisiCorp software used in a Macintosh system would be so much easier to use.

Gates announced in an advertising campaign that a new Microsoft operating system was about to be developed that would use a graphic interface. It was to be called “Windows,” and would be compatible with all PC software products developed on the MS-DOS system. The announcement was a bluff, in that Microsoft had no such program under development. But as a marketing tactic it was sheer genius, as nearly 30 percent of the computer market was using the MS-DOS system and would wait for Windows software rather than change to a new system. Without people willing to change formats, software developers were unwilling to write programs for the VisiCorp system and it lost momentum by early 1985.

In November 1985, nearly two years after his announcement, Bill Gates and Microsoft launched Windows. Visually the Windows system looked very similar to the Macintosh system Apple Computer Corporation had introduced nearly two years earlier. Apple had earlier given Microsoft full access to their technology while it was working on making Microsoft products compatible for Apple computers. Gates had advised Apple to license their software but they ignored the advice, being more interested in selling computers.

Once again, Gates took full advantage of the situation and created a software format that was strikingly similar to the Macintosh. Apple threatened to sue, and Microsoft retaliated, saying it would delay shipment of its Microsoft-compatible software for Macintosh users. In the end, Microsoft prevailed in the courts because it could prove that while there were similarities in how the two software systems operated, each individual function was distinctly different.

Entrepreneur and Businessman

Bill Gates’ intelligence allowed him to be able to see all sides of the software industry—product development and corporate strategy. When analyzing any corporate move, he would develop a profile of all the possible cases and run through them, asking questions about anything that could possibly happen.

Despite the success of Microsoft, Bill Gates never felt totally secure. Always looking over his shoulder to check on the competition, Gates developed a white-hot drive and competitive spirit. Gates expected everyone in the company to have the same dedication. Gates’ assistant reported coming to work early to find someone sleeping under a desk. She considered calling security or the police, until she discovered it was Gates. His confrontational management style also became legend, as he would challenge employees and their ideas to keep the creative process going. An unprepared presenter could hear, “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard!” from Gates. But this was as much a test of the rigor of the employee as it was Gates’ passion for his company. He was constantly checking the people around him to see if they were really convinced of their ideas.

Outside the company, Bill Gates was gaining a reputation as a ruthless competitor. Several tech companies, led by IBM, began to develop their own operating system, called OS/2, to replace MS-DOS. Rather than give in to the pressure, Gates pushed ahead with the Windows software, improving its operation and expanding its uses. In 1989, Microsoft introduced Microsoft Office, which bundled office productivity applications such as Microsoft Word and Excel into one system that was compatible with all Microsoft products. The applications were not as easily compatible with OS/2. Microsoft’s new version of Windows sold 100,000 copies in just two weeks, and OS/2 soon faded away. This left Microsoft with a virtual monopoly on operating systems for PCs. Soon the Federal Trade Commission began to investigate Microsoft for unfair marketing practices.

Throughout the 1990s, Microsoft faced a string of Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department investigations. Some related allegations that Microsoft made unfair deals with computer manufacturers who installed the Windows operating system on their computers. Other charges involved Microsoft forcing computer manufactures to sell Microsoft’s Internet Explorer as a condition for selling the Windows operating system with their computers.

At one point, Microsoft faced a possible break up of its two divisions—operating systems and software development. Microsoft defended itself, harking back to Bill Gates’ earlier battles with software piracy and proclaiming that such restrictions were a threat to innovation. Eventually, Microsoft was able to find a settlement with the federal government to avoid a breakup.

Through it all, Gates found some inventive ways to deflect the pressure with lighthearted commercials and public appearances at computer trade shows during which he posed as Star Trek’s Mr. Spock. Gates continued to run the company and weather the federal investigations through the 1990s.

Awards

In addition to being one of the richest and most successful businessmen in the history of the world, Bill Gates has also received numerous awards for philanthropic work. Time magazine named Gates one of the most influential people of the 20th century. The magazine also named Gates and his wife Melinda, along with rock band U2’s lead singer, Bono, as the 2005 Persons of the Year.

Gates holds several honorary doctorates from universities throughout the world. He was knighted as an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire bestowed by Queen Elizabeth II in 2005.

In 2006, Gates and his wife were awarded the Order of the Aztec Eagle by the Mexican government for their philanthropic work throughout the world in the areas of health and education. In 2016, Gates and his wife Melinda were recognized for their philanthropic work when they were named recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.

In early 2018, Gates achieved another distinction with the announcement he would guest star on an episode of The Big Theory. The sitcom’s honor roll of guest stars includes Leonard Nimoy and George Takei of Star Trek fame, entrepreneur Elon Musk and scientists Stephen Hawking and Bill Nye.